U.S. patent number 8,606,635 [Application Number 13/271,144] was granted by the patent office on 2013-12-10 for system and method for presenting content on a retailer's content page using manufacturers' product information.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Google Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Carl J. Evankovich, Kawaljit Gandhi, Nitin Mangtani, Kamal P. Nigam, Abdulrahman Salem. Invention is credited to Carl J. Evankovich, Kawaljit Gandhi, Nitin Mangtani, Kamal P. Nigam, Abdulrahman Salem.
United States Patent |
8,606,635 |
Evankovich , et al. |
December 10, 2013 |
System and method for presenting content on a retailer's content
page using manufacturers' product information
Abstract
System, methods and computer program products for identifying a
featured product based on product information submitted by
retailers and manufacturers are described. In some implementations,
a retailer and a manufacturer can supply product information to an
ad serving system. Based on the product information supplied by the
retailer and the manufacturer, a product matching the product can
be identified. The matching product can then be presented on a
content of the retailer that links to a product page of the
matching product.
Inventors: |
Evankovich; Carl J.
(Pittsburgh, PA), Gandhi; Kawaljit (San Francisco, CA),
Mangtani; Nitin (Los Altos, CA), Nigam; Kamal P.
(Pittsburgh, PA), Salem; Abdulrahman (Glenshaw, PA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Evankovich; Carl J.
Gandhi; Kawaljit
Mangtani; Nitin
Nigam; Kamal P.
Salem; Abdulrahman |
Pittsburgh
San Francisco
Los Altos
Pittsburgh
Glenshaw |
PA
CA
CA
PA
PA |
US
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Google Inc. (Mountain View,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
45934908 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/271,144 |
Filed: |
October 11, 2011 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20120095828 A1 |
Apr 19, 2012 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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61393844 |
Oct 15, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.49;
705/14.73 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q
30/0251 (20130101); G06Q 30/00 (20130101); G06Q
10/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06Q
30/00 (20120101) |
Field of
Search: |
;705/14.49 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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10-2000-0052818 |
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Aug 2000 |
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KR |
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10-2005-0109919 |
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Nov 2005 |
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KR |
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Other References
International Search Report and Written Opinion from International
Application No. PCT/US2011/055841 mailed Apr. 20, 2012, 11 pages.
cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Weiss; John G
Assistant Examiner: Anderson; Scott C
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fish & Richardson P.C.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/393,844,
filed on Oct. 15, 2010. The disclosure of the prior application is
considered part of and is incorporated by reference in the
disclosure of this application.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method implemented in a data processing apparatus, comprising:
receiving, at an advertising serving system, attribute data from a
retailer system of a retailer offering promotional products, the
attribute data for advertisement presentations on a content page of
a web site of the retailer, the attribute data describing
attributes of one or more promotional products being products
offered by the retailer; receiving, at the advertising serving
system, campaign information associated with an advertising
campaign from a manufacturer system of a manufacturer of the
promotional products, the campaign information including product
information describing attributes of products manufactured by the
manufacturer, including attributes of the one or more promotional
products, and advertising targeting criteria; receiving, at the
advertising serving system and from a user device, a request for an
advertisement for an advertisement presentation on the content
page; comparing, at the advertising serving system and in response
to the request, the attributes of one or more promotional products
being products offered by the retailer to the attributes of
products manufactured by the manufacturer and identifying, based on
the comparison, from the one or more promotional products, matching
products offered by the retailer and manufactured by the
manufacturer of the promotional products; selecting, by the
advertisement serving system, one of the matching products as a
selected product based on the request for the advertisement meeting
advertising targeting criteria associated with the selected
product; and providing, from the advertisement serving system and
for presentation on the content page on the web site of the
retailer, an advertisement for the selected product, the
advertisement including a link to a second content page on the web
site of the retailer, the second content page promoting an offering
of the selected product by the retailer.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the campaign
information includes receiving identification information unique to
the one or more promotional products, each promotional product
having a different identifier for identifying the promotional
product.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying matching products
includes identifying, among the one or more promotional products, a
product offered by the retailer and for which at least one
attribute matches an attribute of a products manufactured by the
manufacturer.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the campaign
information includes receiving one or more creatives associated
with the one or more promotional products from the manufacturer,
each of the one or more creatives including identification
information identifying a respective individual promotional
product.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing, from the advertisement
serving system and for presentation on the content page on the web
site of the retailer, an advertisement for the selected product
comprises providing the creative associated with the selected
product.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein: receiving the attribute data
includes receiving a listing of products including the one or more
promotional products; and receiving the campaign information
includes receiving a selection of one or more targeted products
from the listing of products.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein identifying the matching products
includes identifying a selected one or more targeted products as
matching products.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein: receiving the listing of
products includes receiving product information identifying one or
more categories and sub-categories with which the one or more
promotional products are associated; and receiving the selection
includes receiving the selection of the one or more targeted
products through the one or more categories and sub-categories.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein: receiving the listing of
products includes receiving one or more retailer offers on one or
more retailer products including the one or more promotional
products; and receiving the campaign information includes receiving
product targeting information for targeting the one or more
retailer offers on the one or more retailer products.
10. A method implemented in a data processing apparatus,
comprising: receiving, at an advertising serving system and from a
retailer system, a listing of a plurality of products offered by a
retailer; receiving, at the advertising serving system and from the
retailer system, serving criteria for serving advertisements for
each of the plurality of products; receiving, from an advertiser
that is separate from the advertising serving system and the
retailer system, selections selecting products from the plurality
of products for which targeting according to the serving criteria
is desired; receiving, at the advertising serving system, a product
request for a matching product to be displayed on the content page
of the retailer; identifying, at the advertising serving system, a
matching product that matches the product request based on the
selections and the serving criteria; and providing, from the
advertising serving system, in response to the product request, an
advertisement for the matching product that is to be presented on a
first content page of hosted by the retailer system and that
includes a link to a second content page hosted by the retailer
system, the second content page promoting an offering of the
matching product offered by the retailer.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions
stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor at an
advertising serving system, causes the processor to perform
operations comprising: receiving, at the advertising serving
system, attribute data from a retailer system of a retailer offing
promotional products, the attribute data for advertisement
presentations on a content page of a web site of the retailer, the
attribute data describing attributes of one or more promotional
products being products offered by the retailer; receiving, at the
advertising serving system, campaign information associated with an
advertising campaign from a manufacturer system of a manufacturer
of the promotional products, the campaign information including
product information describing attributes of products manufactured
by the manufacturer, including attributes of the one or more
promotional products, and advertising targeting criteria;
receiving, at the advertising serving system and from a user
device, a request for an advertisement for an advertisement
presentation on the content page; comparing, at the advertising
serving system and in response to the request, the attributes of
one or more promotional products being products offered by the
retailer to the attributes of products manufactured by the
manufacturer and identifying, based on the comparison, from the one
or more promotional products, matching products offered by the
retailer and manufactured by the manufacturer of the promotional
products; and providing, from the advertisement serving system and
for presentation on the content page of the web site of the
retailer, an advertisement for the selected product on the content
page, the advertisement including a link to a second content page
on the web site of the retailer, the second content page promoting
an offering of the selected product by the retailer.
12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the
campaign information includes receiving identification information
unique to the one or more promotional products, each promotional
product having a different identifier for identifying the
promotional product.
13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein identifying
matching products includes identifying, among the one or more
promotional products, a product offered by the retailer and for
which at least one attribute matches an attribute of a products
manufactured by the manufacturer.
14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the
campaign information includes receiving one or more creatives
associated with the one or more promotional products from the
manufacturer, each of the one or more creatives including
identification information identifying a respective individual
promotional product.
15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein providing,
from the advertisement serving system and for presentation on the
content page on the web site of the retailer, an advertisement for
the selected product comprises providing the creative associated
with the selected product.
16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein: receiving
the attribute data includes receiving a listing of products
including the one or more promotional products; and receiving the
campaign information includes receiving a selection of one or more
targeted products from the listing of products.
17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein identifying
the matching product includes identifying a selected one or more
targeted products as matching products.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein: receiving
the listing of products includes receiving product information
identifying one or more categories and sub-categories with which
the one or more promotional products are associated; and receiving
the selection includes receiving the selection of the one or more
targeted products through the one or more categories and
sub-categories.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein: receiving
the listing of products includes receiving one or more retailer
offers on one or more retailer products including the one or more
promotional products; and receiving the campaign information
includes receiving product targeting information for targeting the
one or more retailer offers on the one or more retailer
products.
20. An advertising serving system, comprising: a data processing
apparatus; and a memory system storing instructions executable by
the data processing apparatus and that upon such execution cause
the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
receiving, at the advertising serving system, attribute data from a
retailer system of a retailer offering promotional products, the
attribute data for advertisement presentations on a content page of
a web site of the retailer, the attribute data describing
attributes of one or more promotional products being products
offered by the retailer; receiving, at the advertising serving
system, campaign information associated with an advertising
campaign from a manufacturer system of a manufacturer of the
promotional products, the campaign information including product
information describing attributes of products manufactured by the
manufacturer, including attributes of the one or more promotional
products, and advertising targeting criteria; receiving, at the
advertising serving system and from a user device, a request for an
advertisement for an advertisement presentation on the content
page; comparing, at the advertising serving system and in response
to the request, the attributes of one or more promotional products
being products offered by the retailer to the attributes of
products manufactured by the manufacturer and identifying, based on
the comparison, from the one or more promotional products, matching
products offered by the retailer and manufactured by the
manufacturer of the promotional products; selecting, by the
advertisement serving system, one of the matching products as a
selected product based on the request for the advertisement meeting
advertising targeting criteria associated with the selected
product; and providing, from the advertisement serving system and
for presentation on the content page on the web site of the
retailer, an advertisement for the selected product, the
advertisement including a link to a second content page on the web
site of the retailer, the second content page promoting an offering
of the selected product by the retailer.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The subject matter of this application is generally related to
information presentation.
BACKGROUND
The explosive growth of the Internet as a means of electronic
consumer-based commerce has made the Internet a suitable medium for
targeted distribution of promotional information and products.
Consumers are increasingly accessing online resources to conduct
purchasing transactions over the World Wide Web. Online advertising
and the promotion of goods and services online are among the most
popular commercial applications of the Internet, and the Internet
has become an extremely significant advertising tool for both the
retailers and manufacturers.
Online advertising allows advertisers to measure the effect of
online advertising on consumer purchase behavior in personalized
advertising. For personalized advertising to be successful,
however, a standardized consumer feedback measurement system is
often needed to measure the effectiveness of the personalized ads.
In the absence of such a system, advertisers often face the
complexity and struggle to determine the true value of a sponsored
ad campaign.
More recently, consumers browse retailer web sites that include
product descriptions of products from many manufacturers. Thus,
retailer web sites can actually divert traffic from individual
manufacturer web sites. While advertisers may purchase
advertisement slots on retailer web pages in which advertisements
with embedded links to the advertisers landing pages are shown,
many retailers are reluctant to provide the manufacturers with the
commercial flexibility or advertising freedom to control the brand
products on the retailer web sites, fearing that such autonomy
could drive away user traffic as well as potential businesses to
other third party web sites. Due to a lack of standard
communication protocols between retailers and manufacturers, most
product promotions also often fail to obtain desirable results. The
lack of communication with the manufacturers forces many retailers
to independently develop category presentations and product
information for products listed in the retailer's online store,
which drives up overhead costs, particularly in view of the need
for updating the product listing every time a new product is
released to the public.
SUMMARY
System, methods and computer program products for identifying a
featured product based on product information submitted by
retailers and manufacturers are described. In some implementations,
a retailer and a manufacturer can supply product information to an
ad serving system. Based on the product information supplied by the
retailer and the manufacturer, a product matching the product can
be identified. The matching product can then be presented on a
content of the retailer that links to a product page of the
matching product.
In some implementations, a method can be provided that includes
receiving attribute data from a first entity, the attribute data
relating to advertisement presentations on a content page of the
first entity; receiving campaign information associated with an
advertising campaign from a second entity, the campaign information
including product information associated with one or more
promotional products; identifying, from the one or more promotional
products, a matching product based on the attribute data and the
product information; and providing, for presentation, an
advertisement for the matching product on the content page, the
advertisement including a link to a product page, the product page
promoting an offering of the matching product by the first
entity.
In some implementations, a method can be provided that includes
receiving a listing of a plurality of products offered by a first
entity; receiving serving criteria associated with the plurality of
products; receiving a selection from a second entity, the selection
selecting a product from the plurality of products for which
targeting is desired; receiving a product request; identifying one
or more matching products that match the product request based on
the one or more selections and the serving criteria; and
presenting, in response to the product request, the one or more
matching products as one or more featured products on a content
page of the first entity, each featured product configured to point
to a product page associated with a corresponding featured product,
the product page hosted by the first entity.
In some implementations, a computer-readable medium can be provided
that includes instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by
a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving attribute data from a first entity, the first attribute
data relating to advertisement presentations on a content page of
the first entity; receiving campaign information associated with an
advertising campaign from a second entity, the campaign information
including product information associated with one or more
promotional products; identifying, from the one or more promotional
products, a matching product based on the attribute data and the
product information; and providing, for presentation, the an
advertisement for the matching product on the content page, the
advertisement including a link to a product page, the product page
promoting an offering of the matching product by the first
entity.
In some implementations, a method can be provided that includes
receiving, from a retailer, a listing of products or product
serving parameters associated with the products offered by the
retailer; receiving, from a manufacturer, one or more promotional
products for which targeting is desired; receiving, from the
retailer, a product request in response to a user query, the
product request containing a request for a featured product to be
placed on a content page hosted by the retailer; identifying, by a
content server, a matching product that matches a product in the
listing of product or meets the product serving parameters; and
providing, by the content server in response to the product
request, a presentation of the identified matching product as a
featured product on the content page, the featured product
presented with one or more non-sponsored products internally
retrieved by the retailer based on the user query.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set
forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other
features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent
from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example content presentation
environment.
FIG. 2 is a data flow diagram showing an example data flow.
FIG. 3 is an example of a process for facilitating the
identification and presentation of featured products based on
product information supplied by advertisers such as manufacturers
and publishers such as retailers.
FIG. 4 is an example of a flow diagram showing the presentation of
featured products based on product information supplied by
advertisers such as manufacturers and publishers such as
retailers.
FIG. 5A shows an example of a data feed user interface through
which product information provided by retailers can be transmitted
to an ad serving system.
FIG. 5B shows an example of an upload user interface from which
product information can be uploaded to an ad serving system in the
form of a text file.
FIG. 6 shows an example of an ad campaign user interface configured
to display information associated with an ad campaign comprising
one or more product ad groups.
FIG. 7 shows an example of a discovery user interface to facilitate
the process of selecting one or more retail products for which a
manufacturer can potentially promote on a retailer's content page
through bidding.
FIG. 8 shows an example of a content page displaying two featured
products sponsored by a manufacturer that are identified based on
product information provided by a retailer and the
manufacturer.
FIG. 9 shows another example of a content page displaying a
plurality of featured products sponsored by various
manufacturers.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a processing device that may be used
to execute methods and processes disclosed herein.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like
elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Advertisers, such as manufacturers, provide sponsored pages on a
retailer web site to directly control their product related
information and personalize brand product presentations displayed
on the retailer web sites to increase the effectiveness of
personalized advertising.
A featured product identification process allows manufacturers to
create ad campaigns based on product information submitted by the
retailers, and promote featured products on various retailer web
sites that meet the serving criteria set forth by the retailers.
For retailers, the featured product identification process allows
prime ad space on the retailer web site to be sold to manufacturers
willing to pay for the ad space, and to limit the featured products
to only those that are also sold or offered by the retailers so
that the user traffic can be retained on the retailer web site. The
featured product identification process also permits retailers to
render and display special featured products as if the special
featured products were organic promotions, and which are configured
to point to the corresponding retailer product landing page to
facilitate immediate product purchase or product review.
As will be discussed in greater detail in FIGS. 3-10, displaying
featured products promoted by the manufacturers and selected based
on the retailer's serving requirement offers the retailer the
ability to, for example, publish quality product advertisements and
pages suitable for rendering in various context in a less intrusive
manner (e.g., offer search, item page, category page, or main
homepage), approve and disapprove certain product creatives to
maximize the suitability of the featured products to the products
offered by the retailers, and customize the look and feel of the
resulting creative to enhance the promotional nature of the
featured product(s). Manufacturers can also benefit from the
foregoing process through the creation and launching of targeted
marketing campaigns for a specific product or groups of products,
and to pay for the showing of featured products that have a clear
and immediate payoff as the featured products are directly promoted
by the retailer (e.g., by showing the featured products on and
promoted by retailers such as Walmart.RTM., Target.RTM., and
Sears.RTM.).
System Overview
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example content presentation
environment 100. The environment 100 facilitates receiving and
providing content to users, publishers, and advertisers. For
example, the content can include web documents, links, images,
advertisements, and other information. Advertisements from
advertisers can be delivered and served to users along with other
content (e.g., a publisher web page). In some implementations, a
content management system 106 can select and deliver advertiser
content that is contextually relevant to and of an appropriate
format and style to the publisher content accessed.
In some implementations, content can include one or more
advertisements. An advertisement or an "ad" can refer to any form
of communication in which one or more products, services, ideas,
messages, people, organizations or other items are identified and
promoted. Ads need not be limited to commercial promotions or other
communications. An ad can be a public service announcement or any
other type of notice, such as a public notice published in printed
or electronic press or a broadcast. An ad can also be referred to
as sponsored content.
In some implementations, ads can be communicated via various
mediums and in various forms. For example, ads can be communicated
through an interactive medium, such as the Internet, and can
include graphical ads (e.g., banner ads), textual ads, image ads,
audio ads, video ads, ads combining one of more of any of such
components, or any form of electronically delivered advertisement.
Ads can include embedded information, such as embedded media,
links, meta-information, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds,
and/or machine executable instructions.
The term "ad" can refer to either a single "creative" and/or an ad
from an "ad group." A creative can be any content that represents
one ad impression. An ad impression refers to any form of
presentation of an ad such that it is viewable/receivable to a
user. In some implementations, an ad impression can occur when
displaying an ad on a display device of a user access device. An ad
group can be an entity that represents a group of creatives that
share a common characteristic, such as having the same ad targeting
criteria. Ad groups can be used to create an ad campaign.
In some implementations, ads can be embedded within other content.
For example, ads can be displayed with other content in a web page
associated with a publisher. When displayed, the ads can occupy an
ad space "slot" or "block." Ad space can include any space that
allows rendering/presentation of information (i.e., associated with
a given ad). In some examples, the ad space can be implemented as a
HyperText Markup Language (HTML) element, such as an inline frame
(I-Frame) or other type of embeddable display element. The ad space
can include any portion, or all, of a user display. The ad space
can be a discrete, isolated portion of a display or blended and
dispersed throughout a display. The ad space can be a discrete
element or dispersed in multiple sub-elements.
In some implementations, ads can be integrated with the surrounding
content of the web page they are displayed with, prior to viewing
by a user. For example, the rendering of the text of an ad can be
in the same or a complementary size, color, and font type as the
text on the web page into which it is integrated. In addition, the
ad can be displayed using the same color scheme or chrome of the
surrounding web page into which it is integrated. Typically, the
better integrated into its web page surroundings an ad is, the
better the ad will perform in terms of notice and interaction by a
user.
In some implementations, the CMS 106 can dynamically determine how
to render/present an ad. For example, the CMS 106 can determine how
much space a particular ad can occupy. Moreover, the CMS 106 can
determine if the ad can be expanded, shrunk, side-barred, bannered,
popped up, or otherwise displayed alone or with other ads within a
specific publisher's website. For example, the CMS 106 can use ad
features (e.g., title, text, links, executable code, images, audio,
embedded information, targeting criteria, etc.) to identify if an
ad can be served in a particular ad block.
In determining how to render/present an ad, the CMS 106 can
determine how to best integrate the ad into its web page
surroundings. Prior to rendering the ad, the CMS 106 can determine
specific data related to the web page (e.g., types of fonts used,
colors, font sizes, color scheme used by the web page, etc.). Using
this data, the CMS 106 can select fonts, colors, font sizes,
chromes, etc. that can best render the ad in order for it to
integrate well into the web page.
A "click-through" of a displayed ad can occur when a user clicks or
otherwise selects/interacts with the ad. A "conversion" can occur,
for example, when a user consummates a transaction related to a
given ad. For example, a conversion can occur when a user clicks on
an ad, which refers them to the advertiser's web page, and
consummates a purchase on the advertiser's web page before leaving
that web page. Other types of conversions can also be used.
As shown in FIG. 1, the CMS 106 can communicate with one or more
content providers (e.g., advertisers 102), one or more publishers
104, and one or more user access devices 108 (user access device
108a, user access device 108b, user access device 108c). All of the
elements can be coupled to a network 110. Each of the elements 102,
104, 106, 108, and 110 in FIG. 1 can be implemented or associated
with hardware components, software components, or firmware
components, or any combination of such components. For example, the
elements 102, 104, 106, 108, and 110 can be implemented or
associated with general purpose servers, software processes and
engines, and/or various embedded systems. For example, the elements
102, 104, 106, and 110 can serve as an ad distribution network.
While reference is made to distributing advertisements, the system
106 can be suitable for distributing other forms of content
including other forms of sponsored content.
The advertisers 102 can include any entities that are associated
with ads. The advertisers 102 can provide, or be associated with,
products and/or services related to ads. For example, the
advertisers 102 can include, or be associated with, retailers,
wholesalers, warehouses, manufacturers, distributors, health care
providers, educational establishments, financial establishments,
technology providers, energy providers, utility providers, or any
other product or service providers or distributors.
The advertisers 102 can directly or indirectly generate, maintain,
and/or track ads, which can be related to products or services
offered by or otherwise associated with the advertisers. The
advertisers 102 can include, or maintain, one or more data
processing systems 112, such as servers or embedded systems,
coupled to the network 110. The advertisers 102 can include or
maintain one or more processes that run on one or more data
processing systems.
The publishers 104 can include any entities that generate,
maintain, provide, present, and/or process content in the CMS 106.
The publisher "content" can include various types of content
including web-based information, such as articles, discussion
threads, reports, analyses, financial statements, music, video,
graphics, search results, web page listings, information feeds
(e.g., RSS feeds), television broadcasts, radio broadcasts, printed
publications, etc. The publishers 104 can include or maintain one
or more data processing systems 114, such as servers or embedded
systems, coupled to the network 110. The publishers 104 can include
or maintain one or more processes that run on data processing
systems. In some implementations, the publishers 104 can include
one or more content repositories 124 for storing content and other
information.
In some implementations, the publishers 104 can include content
providers. For example, content providers can include those with an
internet presence, such as online publication and news providers
(e.g., online newspapers, online magazines, television websites,
etc.), or online service providers (e.g., financial service
providers, health service providers, retailers, etc,). One or more
of the publishers 104 can represent a content network that is
associated with the CMS 106.
In some implementations, the publishers 104 can include search
services. For example, search services can include those with an
internet presence, such as online search services that search the
worldwide web, online knowledge database search services (e.g.,
dictionaries, encyclopedias), etc.
The publishers 104 can provide or present content via various
mediums and in various forms, including web based and non-web based
mediums and forms. The publishers 104 can generate and/or maintain
such content and/or retrieve the content from other network
resources.
The CMS 106 can manage content (e.g., ads) and provide various
services to the advertisers 102, the publishers 104, and the user
access devices 108. The CMS 106 can store ads in a repository 126
and facilitate the distribution or targeting of ads through the CMS
106 to the user access devices 108.
The CMS 106 can include one or more data processing systems 116,
such as servers or embedded systems, coupled to the network 110.
The CMS 106 can also include one or more processes, such as server
processes. In some implementations, the CMS 106 can include an ad
serving system 120 and one or more backend processing systems 118.
The ad serving system 120 can include one or more data processing
systems 116 and can perform functionality associated with
delivering ads to publishers or user access devices. The backend
processing systems 118 can include one or more data processing
systems 116. The backend processing systems 118 can perform
functionality associated with identifying relevant ads to deliver,
customizing ads, performing filtering processes, generating
reports, maintaining accounts and usage information, and other
backend system processing. The CMS 106 can use the backend
processing systems 118 and the ad serving system 120 to distribute
ads from the advertisers 102 through the publishers 104 to the user
access devices 108.
In some implementations, the CMS 106 can provide various features
to the publishers 104. The CMS 106 can deliver ads (associated with
the advertisers 102) to the user access devices 108 when users
access content from the publishers 104. For example, the CMS 106
can deliver ads that are relevant to publisher sites, site content,
and publisher audiences. In another example, the CMS 106 can allow
the publishers 104 to search and select specific products and
services as well as associated ads displayed with content provided
by the publishers 104. In some implementations, the publishers 104
can search through ads in the ad repository 126 and select certain
ads for display with their content.
The user access devices 108 can include devices capable of
receiving information from the network 110. The user access devices
108 can include general computing components and/or embedded
systems optimized with specific components for performing specific
tasks. Examples of user access devices 108 can include personal
computers (e.g., desktop computers), mobile computing devices, cell
phones, smart phones, media players/recorders, music players, game
consoles, media centers, media players, electronic tablets,
personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, audio
systems, radio systems, removable storage devices, navigation
systems, set top boxes, and other electronic devices. The user
access devices 108 can also include various other elements, such as
processes running on various machines. In some implementations, the
user access devices are not electronic (e.g., printed
publications).
The network 110 can include any element or system that facilitates
communications among and between various network nodes, such as
elements 108, 112, 114, and 116. The network 110 can include one or
more telecommunications networks, such as computer networks,
telephone or other communications networks, the internet, etc. The
network 110 can include a shared, public, or private data network
(e.g., an intranet, a peer-to-peer network, a private network, a
virtual private network (VPN), etc.) encompassing a wide area
(e.g., WAN) or local area (e.g., LAN). In some implementations, the
network 110 can facilitate data exchange by way of packet switching
using the Internet Protocol (IP). The network 110 can also
facilitate wired and/or wireless connectivity and
communication.
In some implementations, user access devices 108 and advertisers
102 can provide usage information to the CMS 106 (e.g., whether or
not a conversion or click-through related to an ad has occurred).
This usage information can include measured or observed user
behavior related to served content. For example, the CMS 106 can
perform financial transactions, such as crediting publishers 104
and charging advertisers 102 based on the usage information.
A user access device (e.g., user access device 108a) can present in
a viewer (e.g., a browser or other content display system) the
search results integrated with one or more of the ads provided by
the CMS 106. In some implementations, the user access device can
transmit information about the ads back to the CMS 106, including
information describing how, when, and/or where the ads are to
be/were rendered/presented (e.g., in HTML or JavaScript.RTM.).
Additional and/or different elements not shown can be contained in
or coupled to the elements shown in FIG. 1, and/or certain
illustrated elements can be absent. In some examples, the functions
provided by the illustrated elements could be performed by less
than the illustrated number of components or even by a single
element. The illustrated elements could be implemented as
individual processes run on separate machines or a single process
running on a single machine.
FIG. 2 is a data flow diagram showing an example data flow 200. In
particular, the data flow 200 shows ad component interactions when
ads are being served (e.g., by the CMS 106). It should be noted
that the data flow 200 is merely an example illustration and not
intended to be restrictive. Other data flows are possible, and the
illustrated events and their particular order in time can vary
depending on a specific design and application.
As shown in FIG. 2, a publisher 104a can receive a content request
204 from the user access device 108a. For example, the content
request 204 can be a request for a web document on a given topic
(e.g., pet food suppliers). In response to the request 204, the
publisher can retrieve relevant content (e.g., the web page for
Example_Pet_Supply_Retailer) from the content repository 124.
The publisher 104a can respond to the content request 204 by
sending a content page 206 or other presentation, representation,
or characterization of the content to the requesting user access
device 108a. The content page 206 can include the requested content
(e.g., the web page for Example_Pet_Supply_Retailer) as well as a
code snippet 208 associated with an ad. For example, a code snippet
can refer to a method used by one device (e.g., a server) to ask
another device (e.g., a browser running on a client device) to
perform actions after or while downloading information. In some
implementations, a code snippet can be in JavaScript.RTM. code or
can be part of the HTML or other web page markup language or
content.
In some implementations, the CMS 106 can send the code snippet 208
to the publisher 104a and/or the user access device 108a. In some
implementations, the code snippet 208 can originate and/or be
provided from other sources. As the requesting user access device
108a loads the content page 206, the code snippet 208 causes the
user access device 108a to contact the CMS 106 and receive
additional code (e.g., Java Script.RTM.), which causes the content
page 206 to load with an ad portion 210.
The ad portion 210 can be similar to, or include, an ad block. The
ad portion 210 can include any element that allows
embedding/including of information within the content page 206. In
some implementations, the ad portion 210 can be an HTML element
(e.g., an I-Frame) or other type of frame.
In some implementations, the ad portion 210 can be hosted by the
CMS 106 or the publisher 104a and can allow content (e.g., ads)
from the CMS 106 or the publisher 104a to be embedded inside the
content page 206. Parameters associated with the ad portion 210
(e.g., its size, shape, and other style characteristics) can be
specified in the content page 206 (e.g., in HTML), so that the user
access device 108a can present the content page 206 while the ad
portion 210 is being loaded.
In general, when a user clicks on or otherwise interacts with the
displayed ad 216, an embedded code snippet can direct the user
access device 108a to contact the CMS 106. During this event, the
user access device 108a can receive an information parcel, such as
a signed browser cookie, from the CMS 106. This information parcel
can include information, such as an identifier of the selected ad
216, an identifier of the publisher 104a, and the date/time the ad
216 was selected by the user. The information parcel can facilitate
processing of conversion activities or other user transactions.
The user access device 108a can then be redirected to the
advertiser 102 associated with the selected ad 216. The user access
device 108a can send a request 218 to the associated advertiser 102
and then load a landing page 220 from the advertiser 102. The user
can then, for example, perform a conversion action at the landing
page 220, such as purchasing a product or service, registering,
joining a mailing list, etc. The CMS 106 can provide a code
snippet, which can be included within a conversion confirmation
page script such as a script within a web page presented after the
purchase. The user access device 108a can execute the code snippet,
which can contact the CMS 106 and report conversion data to the CMS
106. The conversion data can include conversion types and numbers
as well as information from cookies. The conversion data can be
maintained in a conversion data repository.
Product Targeting
FIG. 3 is an example of a process 300 for facilitating the
identification and presentation of featured products based on
product information supplied by advertisers such as manufacturers
and publishers such as retailers (e.g.,
Example_Pet_Supply_Retailer), and FIG. 4 is a an example of a flow
diagram showing the presentation of featured products based on such
product information. For the sake of simplicity and brevity, FIG. 3
will now be described in conjunction with FIG. 4. Also, the process
300 can be performed, for example, by the ad manager 230, and for
clarity of presentation, the description that follows uses the ad
manager 230 as the basis of examples for describing the process
300. However, another system or combination of devices and systems
also can be used to perform the process 300.
Referring to FIG. 3, at 302, attribute data from a first entity
(e.g., a retailer) relating to advertisement presentations on a
content page of the first entity can be received. For example, a
retailer 402 (or other similar publisher) can supply product
information 402 to the ad serving system 120. In some
implementations, the product information 406 supplied by the
retailer 402 can include information pertaining to products (or
services) the retailer offers (e.g., kitchen appliance, cameras,
mobile phones, etc.). For example, the product information 406 can
include product attribute information such as, without limitation,
product name (e.g., the product's name or title appeared on the
retailer's product page), product description (e.g., as appeared on
the product page), product price, and product image URL.
Optionally, business information such as the category of business
in which the retailer is engaged (e.g., department store, boutique,
kiosk, etc.) also can be provided to the ad serving system 120.
The product information 406 supplied by the retailer 402 can be any
structured data file or stream. The retailer can provide, for
example, a text file with an associated schema describing the feed
semantics. In some implementations, the retailer 402 can supply the
product information 406 by manually identifying or uploading a list
of products maintained or sold by the retailer (e.g., by uploading
a text file to a data feed interface used to allow the retailer 402
to add, edit, or delete information about its business and physical
location(s)). FIG. 5A shows an example of a data feed user
interface 500 through which the product information 406 can be
transmitted to the ad serving system 120.
As shown in FIG. 5A the data feed user interface 500 displays a new
product feed 502. The retailer 402 can use the data feed user
interface 500 (or other similar user interfaces) to enter new or
modify existing attribute data. To access the data feed user
interface 500, the retailer 402 can sign in (e.g., create or use an
existing account to log into the ad serving system 120), create a
merchant account to upload the product information 406, specify
product feed settings (e.g., filename and other parameters), create
and upload the product information 406, and check the product
information 406 for errors (e.g., formatting errors). The product
file containing the product information 406 can be in the form of a
simple text file listing one or more products and related product
data. For example, after creating the new product feed 502, a
product feed data file can be manually uploaded by the retailer 402
to the ad serving system 120 by selecting the "manual upload" link
504. When the "manual upload" link 504 is selected, an upload user
interface can be populated to allow a text file (or files in other
format) containing the product information 406 to be uploaded. FIG.
5B shows an example of an upload user interface 510 from which the
product information 406 can be uploaded to the ad serving system
120 in the form of a text file. As an alternative to file
transmission, products and related product data can also be
manually entered (or edited) by selecting the "Edit" link 508.
In some implementations, the product information 406 can contain
attributes of the products that can be compiled into, for example,
a product catalog by the ad serving system 102 and the ad manager
230 that maps the product information 406 to common semantics. The
common semantics in the product catalog can define all attributes
serving as ad serving criteria to which product information 408
provided by a manufacturer 404 can be matched, as will be discussed
in greater detail below.
Referring back to FIG. 3, at 304, campaign information associated
with an ad campaign from a second entity (e.g., a manufacturer) can
be received. For example, the manufacturer 404 can supply ad
campaign data 414 to the ad serving system 120. The ad campaign
data 414 can define one or more ad campaigns, and include a start
date, an end date, budget information, geo-targeting information,
syndication information, and similar campaign data. For example, a
camera manufacturer can create an advertising campaign for cameras,
and a separate advertising campaign for tripods. The campaign for
the cameras can define one or more product ad groups (e.g., each ad
group associated with a particular camera model), each containing
one or more ads or creatives. Each ad group can include targeting
information (e.g., a set of keywords, a set of one or more topics,
geo-location information, user profile information, user device
characteristics, etc.), and price or offer information (e.g.,
maximum cost or cost per selection, maximum cost or cost per
conversion, etc.)).
Alternatively or in addition, each product ad group can include an
average cost (e.g., average cost per selection, average cost per
conversion, etc.). Therefore, a single maximum cost and/or a single
average cost can be associated with one or more keywords, and/or
topics. As stated, each product ad group can have one or more ads
or creatives (e.g., ad content that is ultimately rendered to the
user access device 422). Unlike conventional product ads where an
end user may be directed to an advertising page of the advertiser
sponsoring the product ad, each product ad or creative can be
restricted to a content page (or other pages within the retail web
site) specified by the retailer 402 so that products matching both
the product information 406 and the product information 408 may
only be displayed when a user is in a retailer's subdirectory that
carries the advertised merchandise, as will be discussed in greater
detail below.
FIG. 6 shows an example of an ad campaign user interface 600
configured to display information associated with an ad campaign
comprising one or more product ad groups. The ad campaign can be an
actual campaign in which one or more ads are presented to public
users. For example, an ad associated with the actual ad campaign
can be displayed in conjunction with search results presented in
response to a search request. An ad also can be displayed along
with other content on a third-party web page.
As shown, the ad campaign user interface 600 can display an ad
campaign listing 602 that identifies the ad campaign and a campaign
status identifier 604 that indicates the current status of that ad
campaign. For example, the campaign status identifier 604 indicates
that the "ProFlowers" ad group is currently "Eligible", where upon
activation, an ad corresponding to the "ProFlowers" ad can be
displayed, and a cost to the ad sponsoring the "ProFlowers" ad
group can be incurred.
The ad campaign user interface 600 can also display an ad group
summary section 601, and the ad group summary section 601 can
include a product extension column 603 for identifying each product
ad group. Further, the information associated with a product ad
group can be presented as a single row in the ad group summary
section 601. For example, information associated with the
"ProFlowers" ad group can be presented in a first row and any
subsequent product ad group can be presented in a second row
immediately below the first row. Additionally, the bottom row 618
can be used to present a column total or column average for all of
the product ad groups included in the ad group summary section
601.
The ad group summary section 601 can also include a status column
604, a clicks column 606, an impressions column 608, a CTR column
610, an average CPC column 612, a cost column 614 and an average
position column 616. The campaign status column 604 can be included
in the product ad group summary section 601 to indicate the status
of each product ad group, such as "Active", "Eligible" or
"Deleted". For example, the status of an ad campaign can be
"Active" if the ad campaign is presently running, "Eligible" if the
campaign has been reviewed, approved and is eligible to run and be
activated, and "Deleted" if the campaign has been disabled. The
campaign status column 604 can also be configured to include one or
more selectable controls to permit a user, such as an advertiser,
to change the campaign status.
The ad group summary section 120 can also be configured to present
information relating to the performance of a product ad group. The
clicks column 606 can indicate the number of clicks that have been
generated by the product ad group for a given time period. Further,
the impressions column 608 can provide the number of ad impressions
for a product ad group over the same period. Additionally, the
number of clicks can be divided by the number of impressions to
determine the CTR, which can be presented in the CTR column
610.
As the bid for an ad group can vary with each impression, an
average cost for the ad group over a specific time period can be
displayed in the average CPC column 612. The cost column 614 also
can be provided to indicate the total cost of the product ad group
over the same period. Additionally, the average position column 616
can be included to identify the average display position of the
impressions associated with the product ad group. By specifying two
or more different time periods, a user can analyze the performance
of a product ad group over the specified periods. Further, a user
can also compare the performance of two or more product ad groups
over a specific time span. If desired, one or more ad group
parameters can be modified to influence future ad group
performance.
As discussed above, the retailer 402 can provide campaign
information associated with an ad campaign to the ad serving system
120. In some implementations, the campaign information can also
include product information associated with one or more promotional
products. For example, in targeting products for displaying on the
content page of the retailer 402, in addition to the data specified
in the ad group summary section 601, the manufacturer 404 can also
supply product information 408 associated with one or more
promotional products to the ad serving system 120 by selecting the
"filter" option 622. Similar to the production information 406, the
product information 408 can contain product attribute information
such as, without limitation, product name (e.g., the product's name
or title appeared on the retailer's product page), product
description (e.g., as appeared on the product page), product price,
and product image URL. Additionally, the product information 408
can include brand identification, categorization, discount
information, rebate information, purchasing rules, and purchase
limit. Such attributes can include images, graphics, textual data,
or a combination thereof relating to one or more products of
interest (e.g., products that the manufacturer 404 would like to
promote on the content page of the retailer 402). For example, the
product information 408 can include information relating to a new
product, a current or future sales program, a current or future
sales period, a discount or rebate information for currently
displayed or stocked products or future products and similar
commercial or promotional information.
In some implementations, the manufacturer 404 can also submit a
feed of data containing strong identifiers for all of the products
manufactured by the manufacturer. One strong identifier can include
the Universal Product Code (UPC) symbol or indicia. A UPC symbol or
indicia is generally affixed to a product (or other articles of
commerce), and contains two parts: a first part with a pre-assigned
number identifying a particular manufacturer and a second part with
information identifying a particular type of the manufacturer's
products.
The manufacturer 404 can also submit other types of identifiers
such as, without limitation, International Standard Book Numbers
(ISBNs), International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSNs), Global
Service Relation Numbers (GSRNs), European Article Numbers (EANs),
Global Trade Identification Numbers (GTINs), Stock Keeping Units
(SKUs), Manufacture Part Numbers (MPNs), and other similar uniform
product codes. Any of the foregoing identifiers can be used to
uniquely identify an individual product with which the attribute
date from the retailer can be compared to determine a matching
product, as will b discussed in greater detail below.
In some implementations, the ad serving system 102 can infer
additional information about one or more products included in the
product information 408 based on data from other third party
sources to create an enriched product catalog. Such additional
information can include, without limitation, user rating, product
reviews and similar featured information. The ad serving system 102
and the ad manager 230 can query other retailers and manufacturers
for additional attributes of a product that needs to be enriched
with additional information, or search in another retailer's
product feed for additional product attributes for specified
products.
Once the "filter" option 622 is selected, a product feed section
624 can be presented. The product feed section 624 can facilitate
the creation of product attributes to be used in restricting the
types of products that the manufacturer 404 would like to promote
on the content page of the retailer 402. For example, the
manufacturer 404 can specify a product type under the product type
field 626 to restrict the bidding to only those products specified
by the manufacturer 404. In the example shown, the manufacturer 404
can specify a bid on promoting kitchen appliances on the content
page of the retailer "Proflowers". If desired, the "filter" option
622 can function as an exclusive (e.g., as opposed to inclusive)
filter to allow the manufacturer 404 to exclude any of the products
presented from product targeting so that any product not selected
will be considered as products to be promoted.
In addition to the product type field 626, the manufacturer 404 can
further select additional fields such as a brand field 628 and a
category identification field 630, and specify additional
attributes to further narrow the bidding to a specific type of
product(s). For example, the manufacturer 404 can specify a product
or a group of products carrying the category identification number
"12345" (or other product identifiers such as SKU number and UPC
code) and brand "Cuisinart". While not shown, other attributes such
as product model designation, product design such as product size,
shape and color, product feature, product function, product price,
or other similar product features can also be used for filtering
unwanted products so that only a selected product is or groups of
products are used for identifying the matching product 412 to be
promoted on the retailer's web site.
In some implementations, the ad serving system 120 can also
provide, for example, a product rating as one attribute for each of
the products provided by the retailer 402 and the manufacturer 404
to aid both parties in the identification of products for which
product targeting is allowed. For example, the ad serving system
120 can assign a product rating to each product, for example, based
on products in a similar category, product ratings assigned by
users, or based on statistical information associated with the
products (e.g., as received from other retailers or
manufacturers).
In sum, the attribute data specified in the product feed section
624 allows the manufacturers 404 to promote particular products
only in connection with those customers who wish to view products
in the same product category. For example, assuming a mobile phone
manufacturer wishes to display particular phones in ads when users
have selected the mobile phone category for browsing, products
matching the product information 406 provided by the retailer 402
and the production information 408 provided by the manufacturer 404
(e.g., matching products 412) are then displayed in a specific
category or subcategory page. The matching products 412 can be
displayed as search results in a retailer's subdirectory or search
results page from which the user can be directed to a corresponding
product page that is hosted by the retailer to purchase the
selected product or receive product data relating to the selected
product. This provides the retailer with assurances that consumers
will not be diverted from the retailer's web site, but also
provides the advertiser with assurances that a tailored and
directed advertisement in the form of a promoted product can be
delivered to a user (instead of a product description that the
retailer may otherwise define without regard to the advertiser's
preferences).
Referring back to FIG. 3, at 306, at least one matching product
from the one or more promotional products can be identified based
on the attribute data provided by the retailer 402 and the product
information provided by the manufacturer 404. As discussed above,
the manufacturer 404 can define a unique line of products (e.g.,
via the product information 408). Based on both the production
information 406 supplied by the retailer 402 and the production
information 408 supplied by the manufacturer 404, the ad serving
system 102 and the ad manager 230 can identify specific products
(or services), or product (or service) categories that can be
shown, or be excluded from being shown, as ads on a content page of
the retailer 402 (e.g., home page, search result page, product page
or other similar retail/listing page of the retailer 402).
For example, the ad serving system 120 can relate both the
production information 406 supplied by the retailer 402 and the
production information 408 supplied by the manufacturer 404 as
product data 410 to the ad manager 230. In response, the ad manager
230 can query the product database 232 to determine one or more
product(s) being promoted by the manufacturer 404 that do not meet
the product criteria set forth by the retailer 402. For example,
unwanted products can be removed by comparing the product
information 408 supplied by the manufacturer 404 against the
product information 406 supplied by the retailer 402. If at least
one product provided by the manufacturer 404 matches the product
information 406 supplied by the retailer 402, the matching product
412 can be relayed back to the ad manager 230. As an example, if
the retailer 402 specifies in the product information 406 that
digital cameras are being sold and the product promoted by the
manufacturer Nikon.RTM. is the newest model of the digital camera
product line, then the product database 232 can find that a match
has been found, and identify the matching product (e.g., the newest
digital camera model promoted by the manufacturer Nikon.RTM.) to
the ad manager 230 and the ad serving system 120.
Where multiple matching products 412 are found, the matching
products 412 can be ranked in order of the quality of the match. In
some implementations, the quality of the match can be used as part
of a function to determine which product is to be returned upon
receiving a product request 416. Specifically, the quality of the
match can consider the likelihood that a user will select a
particular product in a given purchase. For example, where the
product information 406 supplied by the retailer 402 specifies
camera products and accessories carrying the Nikon.RTM. brand as
serving criteria, and two products promoted by the manufacturer 404
are a particular Nikon.RTM. digital camera and a particular
Nikon.RTM. industrial microscope, the Nikon.RTM. camera can be
ranked higher than the Nikon.RTM. industrial microscope because
consumers are likely to search for or purchase digital cameras than
industrial microscopes. Other conventional types of ranking are
also possible such as, without limitation, ranking by organic
search quality features, ranking by features based on user
behavior, and ranking of results taking into account various
bids.
In some implementation, to facilitate the ranking of the matching
products 412, additional information concerning, for example, the
user access device 422 accessing the retailer's content page can
also be collected and stored in the product database 232. Such
additional information can include, without limitation, IP address,
cookie information, languages, geographical information, historical
browsing information relating to documents previously accessed by
the user access device 422 (e.g., a URL of a web site accessed by
the user access device 422). The matching products 412 can then be
ranked based, at least in part, on these additional information
(e.g., in addition to the quality of the matching products 412).
The rank of a matching product can, in some cases, correspond to
the probability that a user will select the matching product 412.
Each matching product can then be displayed to the user access
device 422 based on a respective rank. For example, higher ranking
products can be positioned at more prominent or visually-recognized
locations than lower ranking products. In some implementations,
information indicating whether a particular product was selected or
was not selected as well as which product performs best can be
routed to the ad serving system 120 and the ad manager 230 to
create an empirical model so as to improve product ranking.
As discussed above, the product information 408 supplied by the
manufacturer 404 can be compared against the product information
406 supplied by the retailer 402 to identify one or more matching
products 412. In some implementations, the matching process can
also be partially performed by the manufacturer 404. For example,
in supplying the product information 408, a discovery user
interface can be presented to the manufacturer 404 showing one or
more products currently offered by the retailer 402 (e.g., products
previously identified by the retailer 402 in the product
information 402 and stored in the product database 232). From the
discovery interface, the manufacturer 404 can directly select one
or more retail products offered by the retailer 402 for bidding.
FIG. 7 shows an example of such a discovery user interface 700 to
facilitate the process of selecting one or more retail products for
which the manufacturer 404 can potentially promote on the
retailer's content page through bidding.
Referring to FIG. 7, the discovery user interface 700 can include
one or more product categories 704 from which a specific product or
groups of products can be specified for bidding. If desired, the
manufacturer 404 can also bid on all available products associated
with the ad campaign via button 702 in lieu of a specific product
or groups of products. As shown, the discovery user interface 700
allows the manufacturer 404 to search for and select one or more
retail products for bidding. For example, the manufacturer 404 can
navigate through the product categories 704 (e.g., brand, color,
condition, department, price, shipping, title and year) to locate
the product(s) of interest. In some implementations, each category
704 can include one or more subcategories 706 for refining the
product selection, and all of the retail products available through
the categories 704 and subcategories 706 can be those offered by
the retailer 402.
In selecting a specific product or groups of products through the
discovery user interface 700, the manufacturer 404 is, in effect,
performing an identification process by which one or more retail
products offered by the retailer 402 are identified and selected by
the manufacturer 404 for bidding. For example, the manufacturer 404
can select all Fender.RTM. products falling under the subcategory
"Left-handed instruments" such as "Fender Standard Stratocaster
Left-Handed Electric Guitar" 708 and "Fender American Vintage '52
Telecaster Left-Handed Electric Guitar" 710 offered by the retailer
402 for bidding.
Referring back to FIG. 3, at 308, the presentation of an ad for the
matching product on the content page can be provided, where the ad
can include a link to a product page that promotes an offering of
the matching product by the first entity (e.g., in response to the
product request 416). The product request 416 can refer to a
request for matching product that can be displayed on the content
page of the retailer 402. In some implementations, the product
request 416 can be sent by a browser, on behalf of a user, to the
ad serving system 120 using, for example, the Internet. Upon
receiving the product request 416, the ad serving system 120 can
select one of the matching products 412 as a featured product 418,
and relay the featured product 418 to the retailer 402 for
display.
In some implementations, the featured product 418 can be associated
with one or more related keywords. These keywords can be derived
from the names and/or description of the product and/or product
categories as contained in the product information 408. In some
implementations, the keywords can also be provided by the
manufacturer 404 when submitting the ad campaign data 414 such that
the featured product 418 can be located by a user through
submitting the same keywords to the ad serving system 120. In some
implementations, other types of associations can also be used, such
as product categorization. In general, the product association can
depend on relevancy measures, such as targeted keywords, product
descriptions, customer or user profile information.
In some implementations, the ad serving system 120 can be
configured to permit multiple manufacturers 404 to compete for the
same advertising space on the retailer's result page. For example,
if two or more manufacturers 404 desire to have their respective
matching products displayed in response to a specific keyword or
keyword combination, each manufacturer 404 can specify a bid
corresponding to their matching product. The ad serving system 120
can then conduct an auction, and select the matching product 412
with the highest bid for display in response to the search
query.
As discussed previously, the ad serving system 120 can be
configured to determine the ranking order of the featured product
418 in accordance with one or more factors (e.g., which can also
include the corresponding bids). In some implementations, the
product database 232 can include quality data to aid the ad serving
system 120 in determining the ranking of the products. Such quality
data can include, without limitation, a total number of impressions
associated with each featured product 418, or an impression rate
for each featured product 418, and/or other quality parameter
and/or impression parameters. Example impression rates can include
a percentage of total potential viewers (e.g., the number of
identified impressions divided by the number of viewers), and a
percentage of actual impressions of a total number of impressions
(e.g., a percentage of reliable impressions divided by a total
number of impressions).
Other performance data can also be stored in the product database
232 in aiding the ad serving system 120 to determine suitable
featured product 418 (e.g., performance of a particular featured
product 418, the probability that viewers will select other
non-featured products, and the probability that viewers will
navigate to other content pages after seeing the featured product
418).
In some implementations, the featured product 418 can be returned
in the form of a creative that includes text, graphics and/or video
clips. In some implementations, the featured product 418 displayed
on the retailer's result page can include product data associated
with the featured product 418. When the featured product 418 is
displayed, a determination can be performed to determine whether
there is any existing product data such as user rating or pricing
information associated with the featured product 418 that may be
relevant to the search query. If so, the initial display of the
creative can include one or more lines for displaying such
data.
FIG. 8 shows an example of a content page 800 displaying two
featured products sponsored by the manufacturer 404 that are
identified based on product information provided by the retailer
402 and the manufacturer 404. As shown, the content page 800 can
present a featured product 802 in the form of a creative to the end
user along with non-sponsored search results 806 and 808. The
creative, in this example, is indicated under the "Featured
Product" section. If sufficient advertising space is available, any
additional matching product can also be shown on the content page
800 as an additional featured product. For example, the featured
product 802 featuring a Panasonic.RTM. Lumix digital camera and the
featured product 804 featuring a Canon.RTM. EOS digital camera both
can be presented on the content page 800.
In some implementations, the ad serving system 120 can combine the
featured product 802 and other related product data as a single
creative. The combination can be performed prior to delivery of the
featured product 802 to the user or contemporaneously when the ad
serving system 120 serves the featured product 418 to the end
user.
In some implementations, the featured product 418 can link to a
product page of the retailer in a manner similar to other
non-sponsored, organic search results. For example, when the end
user clicks on one of the featured products 802 and 804, the end
user can be redirected to the product page of the respective
featured products 802 and 804. Allowing the end user to be directed
to the product page upon selecting the featured product 802 ensures
that user traffic is not diverted to elsewhere (e.g., to other
third party web sites, such as the advertiser's web site), while
still allowing the advertiser to tailor its message for a featured
product shown when a related search query is made.
FIG. 9 shows another example of a content page 900 displaying a
plurality of featured products sponsored by various manufacturers.
As shown, a series of featured products 902 sponsored by various
manufacturers can be served on the content page 900. The featured
products 902 can be rendered in a similar way to the normal search
results 906 and 908 located by the retailer's internal search
engine. As discussed above, the manufacturer 404 can submit a feed
of data containing strong identifiers such as SKU numbers and UPC
codes to the ad serving system 120. These identifiers can be used
to locate the featured products 902 (e.g., by matching the
identifiers to identifiers of those products offered by the
retailer 402). The featured product 902 along with its associated
identifier and product data such as model designation, user
feedback and pricing information can all be shown to the user to
improve the quality of the overall product targeting.
In sum, the foregoing product targeting approach allows the
manufacturer 404 to create targeted marketing campaigns for one or
more featured products 418. These campaigns can be used tactically
to promote new product lines or promote a new product during, for
example, a high spending season (e.g., during the holidays), while
giving the manufacturer 404 an opportunity to pay for ads that have
a clear and immediate payoff as featured products are purchased
from the retailer 402 offering the same products. Further, because
the manufacturer 404 can define the type of product information
that can be included in the product creative, the manufacturer 404
is also given flexible control over the branding of the products on
the retailer's content page via the ability to add promotional
messages to the creative.
The retailer 402 can also benefit from the foregoing product
targeting approach by publishing quality/relevant products on the
content page that would otherwise be shown for free while
establishing an additional revenue stream from monetizing the ad
space. Further, because the targeted product creative directly
promotes and features a product readily offered by the retailer
402, click-through and conversion rates can potentially be
increased.
Example Computer System
FIG. 10 is a block diagram of generic processing device that may be
used to execute methods and processes disclosed. The system 1000
may be used for the operations described in association with the
method 300 according to one implementation. The system 1000 may
also be used for the operations described in association with the
method 1000 according to another implementation. For example, the
system 1000 may be included in either or all of the CMS 106, the
publishers 104, and the advertisers 102.
The system 1000 includes a processor 1010, a memory 1020, a storage
device 1030, and an input/output device 1040. Each of the
components 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040 are interconnected using a
system bus 1050. The processor 1010 is capable of processing
instructions for execution within the system 1000. In one
implementation, the processor 1010 is a single-threaded processor.
In another implementation, the processor 1010 is a multi-threaded
processor. The processor 1010 is capable of processing instructions
stored in the memory 1020 or on the storage device 1030 to display
graphical information for a user interface on the input/output
device 1040.
The memory 1020 stores information within the system 1000. In some
implementations, the memory 1020 is a computer-readable medium. In
some implementations, the memory 1020 is a volatile memory unit. In
other implementations, the memory 1020 is a non-volatile memory
unit.
The storage device 1030 is capable of providing mass storage for
the system 1000. In one implementation, the storage device 1030 is
a computer-readable medium. In various different implementations,
the storage device 1030 may be a floppy disk device, a hard disk
device, an optical disk device, or a tape device. The storage
device 1030 may be used, for example, to store information in the
content repository 124, and the ad repository 126.
The input/output device 1040 provides input/output operations for
the system 1000. In one implementation, the input/output device
1040 includes a keyboard and/or pointing device. In another
implementation, the input/output device 1040 includes a display
unit for displaying graphical user interfaces.
A few implementations have been described in detail above, and
various modifications are possible. The disclosed subject matter,
including the functional operations described in this
specification, can be implemented in electronic circuitry, computer
hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations of them, such as
the structural means disclosed in this specification and structural
equivalents thereof, including potentially a program operable to
cause one or more data processing apparatus to perform the
operations described (such as a program encoded in a
computer-readable medium, which can be a memory device, a storage
device, a machine-readable storage substrate, or other physical,
machine-readable medium, or a combination of one or more of
them).
The features described may be implemented in digital electronic
circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in
combinations of them. In some implementations, the apparatus may be
implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in an
information carrier, e.g., in a machine-readable storage device,
for execution by a programmable processor; and method steps may be
performed by a programmable processor executing a program of
instructions to perform functions of the described implementations
by operating on input data and generating output. In other
implementations, the apparatus may be implemented in a computer
program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier for
execution by a programmable processor. In some implementations, the
information carrier can include a propagated signal.
The described features may be implemented advantageously in one or
more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system
including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive
data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions
to, a data storage system, at least one input device, and at least
one output device. A computer program is a set of instructions that
may be used, directly or indirectly, in a computer to perform a
certain activity or bring about a certain result. A computer
program may be written in any form of programming language,
including compiled or interpreted languages, and it may be deployed
in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module,
component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a
computing environment.
Suitable processors for the execution of a program of instructions
include, by way of example, both general and special purpose
microprocessors, and the sole processor or one of multiple
processors of any kind of computer. Generally, a processor will
receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random
access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a
processor for executing instructions and one or more memories for
storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also
include, or be operatively coupled to communicate with, one or more
mass storage devices for storing data files; such devices include
magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks;
magneto-optical disks; and optical disks. Storage devices suitable
for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data
include all forms of non-volatile memory, including by way of
example semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and
flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks
and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM
disks. The processor and the memory may be supplemented by, or
incorporated in, ASICs (application-specific integrated
circuits).
To provide for interaction with a user, the features may be
implemented on a computer having a display device such as a CRT
(cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor for
displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing
device such as a mouse or a trackball by which the user may provide
input to the computer.
The features may be implemented in a computer system that includes
a back-end component, such as a data server, or that includes a
middleware component, such as an application server or an Internet
server, or that includes a front-end component, such as a client
computer having a graphical user interface or an Internet browser,
or any combination of them. The components of the system may be
connected by any form or medium of digital data communication such
as a communication network. Examples of communication networks
include, e.g., a LAN, a WAN, and the computers and networks forming
the Internet.
The term "system" encompasses all apparatus, devices, and machines
for processing data, including by way of example a programmable
processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. The
system can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an
execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g.,
code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a
database management system, an operating system, or a combination
of one or more of them.
A program (also known as a computer program, software, software
application, script, or code) can be written in any form of
programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages,
or declarative or procedural languages, and it can be deployed in
any form, including as a stand alone program or as a module,
component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a
computing environment. A program does not necessarily correspond to
a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a
file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts
stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated
to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g.,
files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portions of
code). A program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or
on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed
across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication
network.
While this specification contains many specifics, these should not
be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed,
but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to
particular implementations. Certain features that are described in
this specification in the context of separate implementations can
also be implemented in combination in a single implementation.
Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a
single implementation can also be implemented in multiple
implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination.
Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in
certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or
more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be
excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be
directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
In addition, the logic flows depicted in the figures do not require
the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve
desirable results. In addition, other steps may be provided, or
steps may be eliminated, from the described flows, and other
components may be added to, or removed from, the described systems.
Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the
following claims.
Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a
particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that
such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in
sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed,
to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances,
multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover,
the separation of various system components in the implementations
described above should not be understood as requiring such
separation in all implementations.
A number of embodiments of the invention have been described.
Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of
the following claims.
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